Welcome to Our Website!

We use this website as a communication tool with all of our friends, family, and supporters at home.  We update this website with current pictures, stories, prayer requests, and anything else that happens along the way.  Check out our photo gallery to see other ministry pictures. Or read our blog to stay up to date on the day to day happenings of missionary life.   So enjoy the website and visit us often.  We look forward to visiting with you!

Our Vision

Did you know that in Italy a town or village has as its center a piazza?  It is what we would call in America a town square or large courtyard.  Typically there is a fountain or well in the center where one draws water to drink.  La piazza is where friends encounter friends, relationships are formed, and meetings take place.  It is where one goes to shop, hear a concert, or relax after a hard day’s work.  It is the center of activity.  If you were to visit a city, town or village in Italy you would find a multitude of piazzas.  If you went to a piazza it would be easy to meet new friends as the Italians are a friendly, outgoing people.  However, if you went to the piazza in search of Christian fellowship, you would have difficulty finding a brother or sister in Christ.  The piazzas, and Italy as a whole, have very few evangelical Christians.  Our vision is to see that change.  Our vision is to fill the piazzas with evangelical Christians.  Would you be willing to share in that vision with us?                           

(Click on the pictures to enlarge.)

Thanksgiving Photos  

Christmas in Valvasone

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Monthly Expense – 69%
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Ministry Highlights

December 25, 2009 

Merry Christmas everyone! We are enjoying counting our blessings as we celebrate our Savior’s birth.  We wanted to share a few of them with you. 

The first blessing involves Carlo Marchi, who accepted Christ two years ago, and a new couple, Bruno and Franca, that we met through ESL.  Two months ago, we had dinner at Bruno and Franca’s home and had a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel.  Bruno is an atheist and Franca, a catholic.  They attended our Thanksgiving dinner and during the gospel presentation appeared very disinterested in the message.  So, to our amazement, last week Carlo encountered Bruno and had a two hour discussion about the gospel.  Carlo is a very shy, reserved man who is growing in his faith and understanding of the Bible. Carlo said he felt totally inadequate to respond to Bruno's questions, but he shared the gospel to the best of his ability.  We are so excited about this encounter on several levels.  First, because Carlo had the courage to share his faith with another Italian, a neighbor if you will, for the first time.  Secondly, Bruno, a wealthy secular atheist, would question and listen to a very humble Christian farmer.  And thirdly, for the first time we have seen the beginnings of God’s multiplication process.  It is our dream to see Italians witnessing to Italians.  This is God giving us the first glimpse of what we pray for.  What a wonderful Christmas present our savior has given us! 

We were blessed with another successful Thanksgiving outreach dinner.  It was held in Udine this year near our church plant to encourage more participation from our ESL students in Udine.  We had over 100 attendees who enjoyed the American cuisine, heard testimonies, and a gospel presentation.  We also handed out 2010 daily calendars with scripture verses. A funny sidelight was that one of our paper turkey decorations caught on fire.  Fortunately, we were able to throw it outside before the whole table caught on fire.

The Lord continues to bless our church plant.  Our two newest additions are Franca Liano and Anna Marie Locatelli.  Anna is an ESL student who prayed with Ken Wells, one of our church planters, to receive Christ three weeks ago.  Franca accepted Christ last summer while visiting her sister in Michigan.  Her sister attended our church plant before moving to the U.S.  Please pray for their growth and commitment to Christ, and that their husbands and children would accept Christ. 

We had 100+ ESL graduates in December.  For graduation each class had to learn two Christmas carols in English and sing them at graduation.  We also taught them about the history of each carol.  It was a blessing to hear ‘The First Noel, Silent Night, and Joy to the World sung in English by Italians.  Tom and I shared are testimonies and Sam Spatola shared the gospel.  It was a great evening and we are praying that the seeds we planted will sprout.